Public Enemy No. 1 or PEN1 is a highly dangerous white supremacist gang based in Southern California that is heavily involved in narcotics, firearms, and identity theft. White supremacy is the variety of white nationalism that believes the white race should rule over other races. ... For the urban complex straddling the United States-Mexico border, see Bajalta California. ... Identity theft is a term first appearing in U.S. literature in the 1990s, leading to the drafting of the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act. ...

The formation of the group was greatly influenced by the adolescent punk scene in Long Beach, California during the 1980s. However, by the 1990s, PEN1’s base of operations had been relocated to Orange County. There they began recruitment of many impressionable suburban adolescents. Now, the gang’s influence has spread throughout California and Arizona, with some members even residing in Idaho and Nevada. Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement that began about 1975 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Damned, and The Clash. ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: Country United States State California County Los Angeles County Government  - Mayor Bob Foster Area  - City  65. ... The 1980s refers to the years of and between 1980 and 1989. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Orange County is the name of several counties in the United States of America: Orange County, California: probably named for the city of Orange, California, which in turn may have been named after the orange groves that used to exist there. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Official language(s) English Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Area  Ranked 6th  - Total 113,998 sq mi (295,254 km²)  - Width 310 miles (500 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

From 2004, the gang’s membership has doubled to at least 400, although authorities suspect there could be hundreds of other personnel operating under the radar. PEN1’s recent increase in influence is mostly due to their newly formed alliance with the notorious Aryan Brotherhood, which has been the dominant white power gang behind bars for some time. For many years, the Nazi Lowriders have acted as AB’s foot soldiers on the outside. But in 2000, the Nazi Lowriders were officially labeled as a prison gang, which demands that their members be automatically placed in solitary confinement upon incarceration. This impaired the gang’s ability to interact with the Aryan Brotherhood significantly, and eventually resulted in PEN1 assuming their activities with the AB. This relationship became official when, in 2005, Donald Reed “Popeye” Mazza, an alleged leader of Public Enemy No. 1, was inducted into the Aryan Brotherhood. The Aryan Brotherhood, (also known as AB or The Brand) is a prison gang numbering about 15,000 members in and out of prison. ... White Power is an ideology and a political slogan describing the views of white supremacists. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Identity theft

Besides more obvious, traditional rackets, the gang seems to specialize in identity theft. Most of this income, however, is allegedly used to help finance their various methamphetamine operations. Originally their methods in identity theft were nothing more than raiding mailboxes and trash receptacles for personal information. These eventually evolved into more elaborate tactics, such as planting moles inside of banks, mortgage companies and state motor vehicle departments in order to gain access to entire credit profiles. A movement of law enforcement officials to have their personal information removed from such institutions has commenced, due to the possibility that such information could be used to identify the home addresses of police personnel and their families. This article is about the psychostimulant, d-methamphetamine. ...

Hostility towards law enforcement

Unlike many racketeering associations, PEN1 does not shy away from targeting police for acts of violence. In 2007, police forces in Orange County arrested 67 alleged PEN1 members after learning of an extensive "hit list" that included five police officers and a gang prosecutor. Those arrested in the raid were charged with conspiracy to commit murder, possession of illegal weapons and identity theft. Previous incidents with gangmembers have even resulted in firefights between police and Public Enemy No. 1 personnel.

See also

• Aryan Brotherhood
• Nazi Lowriders
• Nazi skinhead
• Neo-Nazi groups of the United States
• Street gang
• White power
• White supremacy

The Aryan Brotherhood, (also known as AB or The Brand) is a prison gang numbering about 15,000 members in and out of prison. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A Nazi skinhead from Germany Nazi skinheads are a far right subculture that developed in the United Kingdom around the late 1970s. ... There have been a number of neo-Nazi groups in the United States. ... A gang is a group of individuals who share a common identity and, in current usage, engage in illegal activities. ... White Power is an ideology and a political slogan describing the views of white supremacists. ... White supremacy is a racist ideology which holds the belief that white people are superior to other races. ...

External links

• White Supremacist Gang Gains Clout - from CBS News